LAFHAJ

Zoubeir LAFHAJ is a Full Professor and researcher at Centrale Lille, a leading graduate engineering school in northern France, where he carries out his research at the LaMcube laboratory (CNRS). His work focuses on the sustainable and technological transformation of the construction sector, with recognized expertise in Construction 4.0, digital transformation, and lean construction.
 
A Professor of exceptional class, he has helped strengthen Centrale Lille’s academic reputation and international standing. Dean of International Relations from 2008 to 2015, he spearheaded the creation of 85 international dual-degree agreements and forged partnerships across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas that enabled more than 1,500 students to take part in international mobility programs.
 
His work bridges academia and industry. He designed Centrale Lille’s “Modular Lean Construction 4.0” master’s program, led the industrial “Construction 4.0” Chair with Bouygues Construction (2017–2023), accredited by two French ministries, and is the founder and president of the French Institute for Lean Construction (IFCL), which promotes lean practices across the French construction sector.
 
The author of more than 180 scientific publications, he has collaborated with leading universities worldwide, including Stanford, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Alberta, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the Technical University of Munich. He has also written five books in French, on the lean construction revolution, blockchain in construction, women in construction, logistics in construction, and a vision of the city and the construction site in 2049.
 
Zoubeir LAFHAJ holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, both from the University of Lille.